Regeneration
by Pandora151
Summary: Obi-Wan breaks, and Anakin and Ahsoka are left to pick up the pieces.


**A/N: **Hello! Happy New Year, and welcome to a new decade! ^^

So this fic has a bit of a weird history. I originally wrote it around the same time I wrote Worry, and in fact you may notice some overlapping ideas and even sentences between these two fics. My writing style has changed a lot since I wrote this fic, so I ended up editing this fic with quite a heavy hand.

So now as it stands it's a bit of a mix of my old style and my current one, if that makes sense? What I'm trying to say is that it's a bit of a unique fic, stylistically.

Oh and also it's another migraine fic, because why not? I enjoy writing those.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Obi-Wan tried to focus on whatever he was supposed to be doing right now.

Right, he had to submit a handful of reports on previous missions for the Council and then plan out the briefing he was holding later that day.

Sighing, he sat down on the couch and began to write the first report.

Obi-Wan slowly typed the heading for the report, which included the Jedi involved on the mission, the location, the date, and a few other general details, and then he paused.

For some reason, he felt as though he was forgetting something important from the mission, or _something _was off…and now, it just felt like someone was coming.

Sure enough, the apartment's door slid open and Anakin came in, smiling brightly.

"Obi-Wan," his former Padawan greeted, "when did you get back?"

"Just a few hours ago," Obi-Wan answered, squinting at what he had written so far. The datapad blinked innocently back at him, but it wasn't helping.

_What am I supposed to be doing now? _

When Anakin didn't reply immediately, Obi-Wan glanced back up at him. "Anakin, was there something you needed?" Obi-Wan asked.

"_Well_, now that you mention it, I know we're supposed to have that briefing later, but something came up, and I can't go," Anakin murmured, flesh hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

"What can possibly be so important?" Obi-Wan inquired as he continued to type.

"Um…I have to attend a meeting in the Senate Building," Anakin answered slowly, though the fact that Anakin was suddenly interested in looking at the floor made things abundantly clear.

_Oh_. Senator Amidala. He was pretty sure that they were romantically involved, but since Anakin had never exactly told him anything, they never really talked about it.

"Right," Obi-Wan mumbled, bowing his head. He felt…_something_, but it was impossible to describe it.

"So…do you think you can cover for me at the briefing?" Anakin asked softly, pleading. "I was supposed to go to the Archives, I think, but I didn't do that yet…" he explained.

The strange feeling suddenly rose again and completely overwhelmed him. Obi-Wan placed the datapad on the table before him with a clatter, then covered his face with shaking hands.

He felt like he was drowning; it was difficult to breathe and focus and do _anything_ at all. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears; he could feel the pounding in his head, the bile rising in his throat. His breaths were short and quick, almost painful.

"Obi-Wan?" He barely heard Anakin's voice now, but felt a sudden weight next to him on the couch. "Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked again, voice now closer.

Obi-Wan rubbed at his eyes absently, shoving the feeling down and away almost violently. He breathed deeply and pulled his hands away from his face. "Yes, sorry," he answered, then breathed again.

"What was _that_?" Anakin asked, frowning.

Obi-Wan blinked. His vision was slightly blurry for some reason.

"Nothing, it's fine," he answered. "Do you remember what you were supposed to do for the briefing?" Obi-Wan asked, deftly changing the topic. "I'm assuming you want me to go to the Archives _for you_ as well?"

"Yes, well, if you can," Anakin responded, voice more uncertain.

Obi-Wan sighed internally, saved the report he was working on, and stood up. "Well, I'll be on my way, then. You should probably head over to the Senate soon for your meeting," Obi-Wan told him.

"Master, wait," Anakin tried.

Obi-Wan stopped. The exhaustion he felt pulled at his limbs and he wanted nothing more than to just sit down and not have to worry about _anything_ for at least a few days. The migraine brimming beneath his skull was beginning to quietly rage at him now, but the war and the Republic weren't going to stop just because he needed a break.

"Yes, Anakin?" he asked, turning back towards his former Padawan.

Anakin swallowed. "Is everything alright?"

He wanted to say _no_, that he was desperately tired of practically running the Republic's side of the war and almost every single mission and battle that was sent out of the Temple. He was tired of all the reports and assignments and commitments and meetings and everything else he had to do _right now_, when he had literally no time to rest.

"Yes," Obi-Wan answered shortly, because what else could he say?

Anakin frowned even more, then shook his head. "I'll cancel my…meeting. I'll go the Archives and come to the briefing later today," he said after a long pause, then walked over to Obi-Wan and pulled him to the couch.

Obi-Wan moved without much protest, confused about Anakin's sudden change in behavior.

"I feel like something's wrong and you're not telling me, Obi-Wan," Anakin admitted.

"I have a lot of work to do, Anakin," Obi-Wan responded. "I'm glad you changed your mind about the briefing; it will give me time to finish the reports I have to do for the Council," he realized, and reached for the datapad on the table, but Anakin swatted his hand away.

"You're _always_ doing reports for the Council, Master," Anakin noted. "Or if not reports, then you're planning something or grading papers for _classes you don't even teach_ or something else! When was the last time you had any time for yourself?" Anakin asked, voice raised.

Obi-Wan blinked. "It wasn't that long ago," he answered finally.

"Really?" Anakin asked. "So when exactly was it? Because since the war started, I've never seen you take a break, Obi-Wan!"

"I don't have _time_ for this, Anakin," Obi-Wan answered, keeping his voice level. His head was pounding now, but he violently pushed the pain away into the Force and blinked the blurriness in his vision away.

"Fine," Anakin answered angrily. He stormed out and slammed the door behind him, causing Obi-Wan to wince at the loudness of the sound. The migraine pulsed slightly, but he ignored it, rubbing at his eyes briefly before turning towards the datapad again.

Right. Back to work, then.

As soon as he picked up his datapad, however, Obi-Wan's commlink beeped urgently. He barely suppressed the urge to throw his datapad across the room in frustration and instead placed it back on the table. "Kenobi," he answered once he picked up the commlink.

"_We're having an emergency Council meeting in ten minutes, Obi-Wan."_ Master Windu's voice sounded a little more urgent than usual.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll be there, Master Windu," he answered, then clicked off the commlink. So much for doing reports or planning the briefing or anything else. It would take him just below ten minutes to get to the Council Chambers from here; he had to leave now if he wanted to get there on time.

He stood up and then stumbled when the pain in his head exploded into a full-blown migraine. Obi-Wan gasped at the intense wave of dizziness and collapsed back onto the couch, feeling bile rise in his throat.

Muttering a curse, he grappled for his commlink, contemplating calling Master Windu back and saying he was ill.

But that wouldn't do.

He had to be at the meeting, especially if it was as important as it seemed.

He stood up again, and slowly pushed the pain into the Force, placing the commlink on his belt and walking out of his quarters.

* * *

The Council meeting was taking _hours_.

Obi-Wan struggled to pay attention, but it was like his brain _refused_ to work.

Kit Fisto stood in the middle of the Council chambers, giving his report on his encounter with General Grievous on the Vassek system. An encounter that costed Fisto the life of his former padawan, Nahdar Vebb. The fact that Vebb was only recently Knighted made the loss even more devastating, but the Jedi must move on, as it is the Jedi way.

Obi-Wan frowned and crossed his legs, trying to focus on the conversation again. It was then that he realized that Master Yoda was saying his name.

"Yes, Master Yoda?" he asked, looking over at the Grand Master.

"Agree, do you, with Master Tiin?" Yoda asked, gesturing towards the Iktotchi Jedi Master, who stared at him severely.

Obi-Wan frowned, trying to remember what they were just talking about mere seconds ago. He blinked, watching as the room blurred and suppressing the urge to shiver. It normally wasn't this _cold_ in the Council Chambers.

"I…" he began, trying to focus, but the exhaustion pulled at every part of him, demanding his attention. He couldn't possibly…

"Listening, you were not, Obi-Wan," Yoda scolded, interrupting his train of thought.

Obi-Wan moved his head downward slightly, causing his vision to blur and pain to shoot through his temple and into his spine. He blinked quickly and swallowed the bile rising up his throat, leaving a burning aftertaste in his mouth.

"I apologize, Master," he responded. His own voice sounded far, far away now. Yoda glanced at Mace Windu, who was frowning deeply.

"If you're not going to listen and participate, then you can leave, Obi-Wan," Master Windu announced severely.

A cold feeling—embarrassment, or shame, perhaps—rushed through him, making him feel even more nauseous than before. He didn't—_shouldn't_—want to argue, but he suddenly felt as though he _wronged_ the rest of the Council.

"I—" he began, at a loss for words. He looked around the circle of Council Members, but no one looked back at him, not even Yoda or Plo.

"Go," Master Windu said, pointing to the door.

Obi-Wan pulled himself to his feet and looked directly at Master Fisto, who still stood in the center of the circle. "I apologize," he said again, voice echoing oddly in his ears, and the Nautolan gave a single nod back to him, a sort of understanding flashing through his face.

Obi-Wan turned and walked slowly out of the circle.

His vision was blurring even more and the pain _pulsed_ now, through his body.

He stumbled, once out of direct view of the Council. Before he could think of pushing the pain away again, into the Force, it pulsed again, causing his vision to turn grey and the nausea to rise again.

He swallowed the bile, and blinked up at the dim blurry lights near the ceiling, hearing someone far away shout his name before everything turned completely black.

* * *

Anakin sighed and scrolled through the datapad he was looking at.

He didn't understand how Obi-Wan found the Archives so interesting most of the time. It was so _boring_.

Nonetheless, he finished preparing for the briefing—_finally_—and still had an hour or two to spare.

Padmé was disappointed when he cancelled on her; they were finally going to meet after about 3 months, but after seeing Obi-Wan's near-breakdown (if that's what it was, Anakin couldn't really understand what exactly happened), Anakin immediately changed his mind. Besides, Padmé would understand.

He returned the datapad to Jocasta Nu with an awkward smile and turned to leave the Archives. As per the rules of the Archives, he initially put his commlink on silent when he walked in, so as he left he pulled it out. There were almost 20 unread messages for him, all from Ahsoka. He sighed. Not wanting to read through _all_ of the messages, he decided to call her instead.

"_Master!"_ she exclaimed in relief. _"Did you see my messages? Where are you?"_ She sounded extremely worried, and through his bond with her he could _feel_ her worry. Something was wrong.

"No, not yet, I was in the Archives. What happened?" he asked distractedly, trying to figure out what he should do with the time he had left before the briefing.

He probably should go back to Obi-Wan and see if he needed help with anything. Maybe if he helped him Anakin could get him to sleep during the night rather than stay up and work, as he normally did.

"_It's Master Kenobi, he collapsed during a Council meeting. I'm at the Healers' right now, but they're making me wait before I can see him. It's been about an hour now," _she answered quickly.

Anakin immediately changed direction, as a feeling of dread rose in his stomach. "I'm on the way," he assured her, almost running now. "Did they tell you anything?"

"_No, not really. Master Che wanted you to come, but you weren't answering so she asked me to wait out here and try to contact you. I'll let them know you're coming and see if they'll tell me what's going on," _she answered.

"Alright, I should be there soon, Snips," he told her, then clicked off.

Master Vokara Che sighed, then beckoned Anakin into her office. "We should talk in private, Skywalker," she said, waving him inside. Anakin felt another burst of worry within him, and he frowned as the Twi'lek healer sat at her desk. She looked pointedly at the seat across from her, and he sat as well.

"So," Master Che began, "As you might expect, this is another migraine."

Anakin nodded. That was what he thought. "I feel like they are getting more frequent and severe," he admitted, remembering that Obi-Wan had one about 3 weeks ago.

"Then you understand my concern," Master Che responded. "I am sure that his migraines are stress-induced, and I'm concerned that this may lead to more permanent problems," she admitted, rubbing her face.

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked, confused.

Master Che sighed. "Obi-Wan woke up about ten minutes after arriving here. Almost immediately he started panicking because he was behind on all his work. I ended up having to sedate him to get him to calm down and go back to sleep. He's been sleeping since," she said.

"Wait," Anakin said, voice rising, "Obi-Wan _panicking_?" That never happened. Ever. His Master was well-known for his astounding level of calm, even in slightly more-than-difficult situations. But this was…_new_.

The Twi'lek healer nodded.

"Are you aware that Obi-Wan is practically running the Republic's side of the Clone Wars by himself? And that since he's the newest member of the Council, they expect him to complete nearly all of their reports for the missions of all members? That he's taking on teaching classes because some of the teachers were killed in the war? And I'm sure that you know that he's been playing a largely significant part in your own padawan's training, am I right?" she said, raising her brow.

Shame curled in his stomach, but he immediately squashed it. Now wasn't the time to be ashamed of this. "He never said," Anakin whispered, voice cracking. "He's never talked about these things," he mumbled, eyes moving downward.

"He won't, Skywalker. Especially now," Master Che responded.

"I asked him earlier today to go to the Archives for me, and he literally freaked out as soon as I asked. It worried me so much that I agreed to go myself, but I didn't know it meant anything serious," Anakin realized.

"I imagine that it's the sheer amount of _work_ that he was subjecting on himself for all this time, without really caring for himself," Master Che explained. "He hasn't been sleeping, and he is underweight and dehydrated. The headaches are stress migraines, which aren't necessarily any worse or better than his usual migraines, but coupled with the chronic stress, they can cause some problems for him. As you've probably noticed, he will be prone to severe bouts of anxiety when pressed."

Anakin nodded slowly. Now that he thought about it, Obi-Wan had seemed to be really on edge over the past few weeks.

"I've completely removed him from any duty at all for the next few days," Master Che continued. "We can't have a war as big as this one resting on one man's shoulders as it is."

Just the idea of just one person running the Republic's side of the war made Anakin feel nauseous. There was just…_so _much to consider, so much to do.

He nodded, and Master Che continued.

"Ideally, I'd like him to also see a mind healer to help him, but I know he'll refuse. If anything, I'll do what I can to help him to find his center," she explained. "He is very overwhelmed, Anakin, so you need to keep him calm, no matter what. I don't care _what _you think is going on, if I sense any agitation from him _or you _at all, I will remove you from these Halls."

"Understood, Master," Anakin answered.

"Good," she replied and then deflated. "He should be waking soon. You and your Padawan can go see him. Wait at the front with Ahsoka; someone will meet you to take you to him once he wakes. Make sure you tell your padawan what I told you," she instructed.

He nodded. "I will. Thank you," he answered again.

She frowned. "Don't thank me yet, Skywalker. I'd like these migraines to stop, but it seems like the opposite has been happening," she murmured. "Go." She waved him away.

Anakin walked back into the waiting room, where Ahsoka was waiting. She smiled, eyes eager. "Did you see him?" she asked brightly. "What happened?"

"Ahsoka, quiet," he murmured, glancing around apologetically at the other Jedi who frowned at her loudness. He sat down next to her heavily. "And to answer your question, no, I just talked to Master Che about some…things. They'll let us both see him in a few minutes," he explained.

"What did Master Vokara Che say?" she pressed.

"It's hard to explain, Ahsoka, this isn't the best place to say," he murmured, glancing around the room uncertainly. "But when we go inside, it's _very_ important that you and I both remain quiet and calm, okay? Don't even talk to Obi-Wan about the war or the Council or…anything, really," he advised, then shifted uncomfortably on his chair.

"But why?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Not _now_, Ahsoka," he muttered, just as a Padawan healer approached them.

"Right this way, Knight Skywalker, Padawan Tano," the healer said, gesturing them towards the door leading to a hallway. They followed him into one of the rooms. Obi-Wan was propped up against the headboard of the cot, blinking sleepily. An IV was attached to his left wrist, Anakin noted.

"Hi, Master," Anakin said softly as they entered.

Obi-Wan looked up. His eyes were quite red and there was almost no color at all in his face. "Anakin? Ahsoka?" he murmured, then blinked again. "I don't understand," he murmured. "I thought you left."

"We didn't," Anakin responded softly, slightly confused. "How are you feeling?" he asked, hoping it wasn't too much to ask even that.

"Tired, I think," Obi-Wan answered, blinking slowly at him.

He wasn't lying, Anakin noticed. Whatever sedative they gave him was _strong_; it seemed like he was going to fall asleep again within the next few minutes.

Obi-Wan glanced around the room. "Can you get me a bin, Anakin?" he asked softly.

"Are you nauseous?" Anakin asked as Ahsoka picked up the bin near the entrance of the room and handed it to Obi-Wan.

"Not especially, but I want it with me just in case," Obi-Wan mumbled, leaning his head back against the headboard. As Anakin moved closer, he could see the sweat dotting his brow and the dark bruises under his eyes. _When was the last time he slept_? Anakin wanted to ask, but bit the question back, remembering what Vokara Che said.

"I'm glad you're both here, but I think I'm about to fall asleep on you," Obi-Wan admitted after taking a shaky breath.

"That's alright, Master Kenobi, we'll come back some other time," Ahsoka piped up, smiling slightly.

"Good," Obi-Wan answered, then closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he was snoring lightly. The padawan healer that escorted Anakin and Ahsoka moved forward and adjusted Obi-Wan so that his head rested on the pillows instead of the headboard. The healer nodded at them and gestured for them to leave. They walked back to the waiting room, where Master Che was waiting for them.

"I spoke to the Council about my decision to pull Obi-Wan out of _everything_ for the next few days, but I'd like it to be for a week, if not more. Once his migraine is gone and he is discharged, I'd like him to be on medical leave for some more time, even if he says he's fine," Master Che explained.

Anakin nodded. "Whatever you decide, Master Che. If there's any way I can help, let me know," he said. "When can we visit again?"

"I think tomorrow might be best," Master Che answered. "Don't you have an important briefing coming up, anyway?"

"Oh, kriff!" Anakin exclaimed. "Come on, Snips; we'll come back tomorrow," he told his Padawan, before looking up at Vokara Che again. "Thank you so much," he said.

* * *

"Anakin, thank the Force you're here," Obi-Wan greeted when Anakin walked in the next day.

"You seem better," Anakin commented, but he couldn't tell if Obi-Wan actually _was_. Though he was sitting upright and appeared to be more coherent than before, he still was really pale and had those dark smudges under his eyes, and Anakin could almost feel the migraine slipping through parts of Obi-Wan's mental shields.

"Yes, well, I'm fine now, but Master Che doesn't seem to think so," Obi-Wan sighed. "Anyways, how was the briefing yesterday?" he asked, tone nonchalant.

"It was good, Obi-Wan, but don't worry about that stuff," Anakin said. "Just focus on getting better and doing whatever the healers tell you."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and then snorted. "I'd rather just get out of here so I can finish…well, everything," he responded, then frowned, "I hope." Anakin felt something similar to _alarm_ slipping through Obi-Wan's mental shields.

"Don't worry about that," Anakin repeated, then sat down at the chair by Obi-Wan's bed. That's when he noticed the IV still attached to his Master's wrist. "The Council is taking care of everything…" He trailed off when Obi-Wan seemed to freeze. "Master?" he asked.

Obi-Wan blinked slowly, then began to shake his head, but stopped with a pained hiss. He crumpled back into the bed, breathing heavily. A light sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead and his eyelids fluttered as though he struggled to regain control.

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, feeling panic twist his stomach into knots. He reached forward and placed his flesh hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. He felt Obi-Wan tremble violently beneath his hand, felt feverish _warmth_ emanating from him.

Anakin heard the door behind him open; he watched as Vokara Che rushed up to the other side of Obi-Wan's bed and placed one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest. Anakin felt her Force suggestion, pushing Obi-Wan into sleep.

Obi-Wan deflated with a long breath, his face relaxing almost immediately. His eyes fluttered shut.

Vokara Che turned to him immediately. "You told me you'd be careful, Skywalker!" she exclaimed, raising both hands in exasperation.

"I was!" Anakin responded loudly, but frowned when Obi-Wan's face twisted in his sleep. "I was," he repeated, quietly this time.

The Twi'lek healer released a sigh, then moved to adjust the bed from its propped position to a more horizontal one. The tension in Obi-Wan's face smoothed out only slightly.

"The Force suggestion won't last long," she murmured, studying Obi-Wan carefully with a frown. "I don't think he gets fevers with the migraines, but it seems that his whole body is struggling to find balance, not just his mental state," she mused, then looked at Anakin again.

"Even if he is _asking_ about the Council or the war or _anything_, you won't say anything. Am I clear?"

Anakin nodded. His commlink buzzed, and he lifted it to see the message. "Ahsoka's on her way," he said softly.

She sighed. "Wait outside for her. I'll let you know if he's still able to receive visitors now. You will most likely have to wait until tomorrow," she said.

Anakin nodded and moved out of the room quickly.

* * *

"But it's not just a migraine, is it?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin sighed. "No, I'm sure you've realized it's not," he answered. They were walking back to the apartment, since Vokara Che decided that Obi-Wan would have no visitors for the rest of the day. "I'll explain it all to you when we get back."

Since there wasn't really much time after Anakin's Knighting for him to move out of Obi-Wan's apartment, they still lived together. When Ahsoka became Anakin's Padawan, she decided to either sleep on the couch in the living room or in Anakin's bed, since they were very rarely at the Temple now. She didn't mind sharing with Anakin; it felt nice to have another person right next to her while she slept. It was…comforting.

When they got back to the apartment, they sat side-by-side on the couch awkwardly. Anakin stared briefly at the datapad Obi-Wan left on the table the previous day, forgotten now.

"Tell me," Ahsoka said, turning towards him.

Anakin took a deep breath.

"As you may know, the war has been affecting Jedi quite a bit," he began hesitantly. "But Obi-Wan's pushed himself well beyond the brink of exhaustion and he's having a hard time bouncing back from it. He took way more responsibilities than humanly possible and pushed himself too far."

Ahsoka's eyes were wide, as though she didn't really know how to respond.

"Vokara Che says that he just needs _time_ to find balance again and to recover. Once he recovers from the physical illness, he's going to need a few more days before we can ship out again," he sighed.

"What are we going to do then?" Ahsoka asked. "Weren't we supposed to go to Vanqor?"

"Next week," Anakin answered. "I told Cody after the briefing, but he decided that he didn't want to worry the other clones," Anakin continued. "But even after this we'll have to keep an eye on Obi-Wan and make sure it doesn't get to this level again," he murmured.

Ahsoka nodded then leaned back. "If we end up visiting him tomorrow we should get him something," she suggested.

"Like what?"

"Um…" She frowned, thinking. "Food? What does Master Kenobi like?" she wondered, realizing that she had literally no idea. She knew almost nothing about her Grandmaster, despite spending a significant amount of time with him.

"Tea," Anakin answered immediately.

Ahsoka raised her brow. "I said _food_, Skyguy, not drinks," she laughed.

"Right," Anakin responded, then frowned.

"Master…" she said slowly.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, covering his face with his hands. "It's just that Obi-Wan never really said and I guess I never paid attention to what he liked to eat while I was his Padawan," Anakin muttered.

"You've known him for over a decade!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "I've known you for about three weeks and I know what you like," she declared.

"You do not," Anakin challenged. "You never even asked!"

"I didn't _need_ to, Skyguy," she responded, "Let's see…you're from Tatooine, so you obviously like blue milk. You also like flatbread and black melon, from what I understand. Your absolute favorite, though, are nerf burgers and milkshakes," she listed off.

Anakin's jaw dropped. "How did you know?" he asked. "I don't even know what you like," he admitted.

She smiled. "I have my ways, Master," she responded. "And it's fine, Togrutas have a really specific diet. I wouldn't expect you to know what I like. Yet," she grinned.

Anakin laughed. "Oh, don't you worry, little one, I'll find out exactly what you like," he said, then deflated. "We could go to Dex's and get something for Obi-Wan there. I'm pretty sure Dex knows what he likes to get, and he would love to meet you, Snips," he realized.

"Let's go, then!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

* * *

Anakin walked into Dex's Diner and smiled. He hadn't had the chance to visit since before he was Knighted, before even the war started. Obi-Wan used to take him here all the time when he was younger, but as they got busier with missions, those visits became more and more infrequent.

"Ani, is that you?" Dex called, and then lumbered over to the entrance, where Anakin stood with Ahsoka.

"Anakin!" Dex exclaimed, then hugged him tightly, causing Anakin to gasp from the tightness. When Dex released him, he looked down at Ahsoka, who stood smiling next to Anakin.

"And who's this?" Dex asked, crossing one set of his arms.

"This is Ahsoka," Anakin responded, placing a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, "My Padawan learner."

"Oh! It feels like yesterday when you first came in here with Obi-Wan, and now you have your own Padawan," Dex crooned, walking them over to a booth.

Anakin and Ahsoka sat down on one side, while Dex squeezed in the other.

"Speaking of Obi-Wan, where's he at?" The Besalisk looked around the diner, as though he expected Obi-Wan to walk in any moment.

Anakin deflated. "At the Temple, Dex. He's unfortunately not feeling well," he answered, and Dex frowned. "We're hoping some food from here might do him some good, so if you can, we'd like whatever he usually gets, to go. And a nerf burger for me," he added, realizing that he was hungry.

"I'd like a Shawda Club sandwich," Ahsoka chimed in, glancing at the menu.

Dex nodded. "Was it one of those migraines?" he asked quietly.

Anakin paused, unsure of how much to say. Obi-Wan never really liked talking about his migraines, but the fact that Dex already _knew_ unsettled him. "Yeah," he answered finally. "At least, _part _of it is," Anakin supplied.

"Part of it?" Dex questioned, then sighed. "I won't ask for details, but I'm sorry to hear that. Tell him to get over here once he's better, alright?" Dex asked, then stood up, "I have to get back to my orders. Give me about fifteen minutes for your food."

Anakin thanked him and released a breath when Dex was out of earshot.

"I never thought that Master Obi-Wan would be friends with someone like him," Ahsoka commented quietly, glancing back at Dex, who was cooking again.

"Dex is not what you might think him to be, Snips," Anakin answered. "If it weren't for him, we probably wouldn't have the clones right now."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked.

By the time Anakin finished explaining what Obi-Wan told him about his discovery of the clone army on Kamino, Hermione, the droid waitress, came to their table with both of their orders and Obi-Wan's food in a large bag.

"It's all on the house," she told them as she placed their trays before them. Anakin thanked her and waved at Dex in thanks before digging into his food. Ahsoka did the same, and with a delighted smile, quickly finished her food.

"Let's head back to the Temple," Anakin said, grabbing the bag and walking out with another wave at Dex, who waved back.

* * *

"Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan looked up and smiled at Anakin as he walked in with Ahsoka. "Hello, Anakin, Ahsoka," he greeted.

He looked better now, more awake and with less bruises under his eyes.

The IV was gone now, though Master Che had told them before they came in that he was still taking pain medication for the migraine and was struggling with nausea. She seemed uncertain about whether Obi-Wan would be _able_ to keep the food from Dex's down, but she was sure he would be happy with the gift, which would help.

"We got you some food from Dex," Anakin announced, lifting the bag of food slightly. "He wants you to visit as soon as you get out of here."

Obi-Wan smiled softly in response.

"I'll come visit him as soon as I can," he said, frowning at the bag of food. "I appreciate the food, but I don't think I'll be able to keep it down."

"That's alright; we can keep it in the cooling unit for now," Anakin replied. "How are you?"

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Better, definitely," he replied. "I am sorry if I worried you. It's been a difficult few weeks."

He let out a quiet sigh and sank back into his pillows. "I'm—that's not entirely true," he whispered. "I've been rather negligent about coming to terms with…well, everything."

The admission, as heavy as it was, didn't really answer any of the questions that Anakin had, but he hesitated to press Obi-Wan further. However, the confusion must have shown in his eyes because Obi-Wan let out a sigh and closed his eyes, looking a bit more uncomfortable than before.

"I need time."

Anakin found himself nodding slowly, unsure of what to say. Luckily, his Padawan did not have the same problem.

"That's alright," Ahsoka replied, sitting down on the stool next to the bed. "It's okay to not be okay, Master."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, letting out another sigh and rubbing at his eyes. "I'm not—I don't think I have been for a while." His voice cracked, and for a moment, Anakin felt as though he finally _knew _what lay in the core of his Master's identity.

"I know," Anakin croaked, and he sat next to Ahsoka. Slowly, he lowered his shields, one by one, and projected as much love and support into the Force, practically flooding it into the bond he shared with Obi-Wan.

He just _needed _Obi-Wan to understand how much he cared, how much he wanted Obi-Wan to feel like he wasn't alone.

"We're here for you, Master," Anakin whispered, and he projected that into the Force, the calm sort of support that he had always sensed from Obi-Wan before, when he was the one who was struggling to stay afloat. "Always."

Obi-Wan blinked. A tear rolled down from the corner of his right eye, followed swiftly by another.

"Master Kenobi?" Ahsoka asked, eyes wide.

Obi-Wan shook his head as more tears fell, until he could contain it no longer. A sob escaped from his mouth, and he curled into himself, covering both eyes with his hands.

Without thinking, Anakin moved towards the bed, pulling Obi-Wan into a tight hug. He felt his Padawan immediately follow, feeling her arms wrap around his shoulders, one of her montrals pressing onto his upper arm.

Obi-Wan continued to shudder, crying more openly than Anakin had ever seen. In fact, Anakin was sure he'd never seen Obi-Wan cry before at all.

This was new territory, but Anakin promised himself that he would do whatever it takes to make sure that he was there for Obi-Wan the same way Obi-Wan had been there for him for all these years.

The Force felt lighter than it had in a long time, as though something had just _clicked _into place and there was renewed hope lighting the way into the future, into the years ahead.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan whispered, voice shaking. "_Thank_ you."


End file.
